Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A19748
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A confession of Christian religion; Protestation against popery by way of a confession of Christian religion collected for the benefit of private friends
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I. D., fl. 1607.; Dunster, John, attributed name.
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1609
(1609)
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STC 6172A; ESTC S114690
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21,349
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54
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view of his own glory discontinued his wonted obedience to his Soueraigne nor only so but hauing all that he could aske or thought he should receiue from God Qui mandu canerunt vt essent quasi Dio perdiderunt quod erant facto homines immorrales August betooke himselfe to the Diuell to serue him vpon credit only of better pay Eritis sicut Dij thinking by violence to breake into heauen and to exalt his Throne by the Throne of the Almighty But foolish man by this his Apostasie and wilfull disobedience forfeited his former more blessed estate and was stript of his Masters liuery and all his excellent graces dispossessed of Paradice and sent vnto the Divell to pay him his wages for his former seruice and all his posterity by the guilt of his transgression haue their nature defiled and are abandoned of God and entitled to the Divel for his children and ofspring a wicked seede witches children and sonnes of Beliall And now ô yee sonnes of men saith God by his Prophet Micheas c. 6. v. 5. Remember what Balak king of Moab had deuised and what Balarn the Sonne of Beor answered him that you may knowe the righteousnes of the Lord for so I hope I may apply this prophesie O yee sonnes of men now at this time during our bondage vnder the divel remember what the Prince of darknes had devised against vs and how Iesus Christ the sonne of the living God hath answered him and stopt his mouth with a voice of blood and nailed his accusation to a Crosse that yee may knowe the righteousnes nor that only but the exceeding loue and rich mercy of the Lorde to mankinde for there being no way to free vs out of the power of the Devill but by satisfying the iustice of God for the former transgression God the Father in the fulnesse of time sent his beloued Son made of a woman and clothed in our flesh by the shedding of his precious bloud to redeeme out of the power of the Devill all those that by faith apply the merite of his passion vnto themselues and doe afterwarde shew their thankfulnes vnto God for so great Redemption I beleeue then that Jesus Christ the only Sonne of God coessential to the Father and the holy Ghost was incarnate of the substance of the ever-blessed Virgin Mary by the operation of the holy Spirit that as Sampson married a wife in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistins that hee might seeke an occasion against the Philistins for at that time the Philistins reigned ouer Israel Iud. 14.4 So he by espousing our flesh and by being become the seede of the woman of Abraham of Dauid and our brother might condemne Sinne in the flesh and by his power shrowded vnder this vaile ouerthrow and dispoile the strong mā of his possession then was fulfilled that of St. Augustine Christus pectatumest nos Iustitia Christ is made sinne and wee the righteousnesse of God in him So that in the person of Christ I confesse 2. natures the one Diuine the other Humane by the Diuine nature I doe not vnderstand the Divine nature simply and absolutly as it is commō to all the three persons in the Trinity for wee may not say that the whole Trinity was incarnate but I vnderstand these words Diuine nature Relatiuely of the Nature only of the Sonne of God who is the second Person in the Trinity as also by Humane Nature I do not meane ths Generall or speciall nature of man but the nature considered in the Iudiuiduum only to wit that substance of the humane nature which in the wombe of the Virgin Mary the Sonne of God did assume into the vnity of his person And these 2. Natures I confesse to bee vnited in one person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truely and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfectly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indiuisibly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 distinctly in which 4. words 4. principall heresies touching the person of our Sauiour of the Arians Apolinarians Nestorians Euticheans were confuted in 4. seuerall councells Nice Constantinople Ephesus Calcedon Yet in this doctrine we must heedfully beware of 2. extreames The first that we do not thinke that the Deity assuming is changed into the Humanity assumed assumpsit quod non erat non amisit quod erat saith S. Augustine nor the manhoode assumed into the Deitie assuming but each remaineth entire in his essentiall properties yet without division of the person Salvâ proprietate vtriusque naturae suscepta est à maiestate humilitas à virtute infirmitas ab aeternitate mortalitas Leo ep ad Flau The second that yet notwithstanding we holde for good all such propositions where that is attributed vnto the subiect in concreto which is to be vnderstood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Cyrill speakes in the same subiect especially if the Attribute be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and an effect of the office of Mediatorship As God redeemed the world by his blood the God of glory was crucified and we condemne for Blasphemous that saying of Nestorius Noli gloriari Iudee non enim Deum crucifixisti sed hominē as denying the two natures in 1. Hypostasis and implying that the mā Iesus was assumed into the society only of the Divinity and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one speaketh of the same Heresie To deliver al this more plainly Christ Iesus the second person in the Trinitie assumed our whole nature both body and soule Totus totum assumpsit me vt toti mihi salutem gratificaret quod enim inassumptibile est incurabile est Pet. Lomb. lib. 3. dist 2. into the vnitie of his person and therein performed the whole worke of our Redemption Non Mediator homo praeter Deitatem non Mediator Deus praeter humanitatem sed inter divinitatem solam humanitatem solam mediatrix est humana divinitas diuina humanitas Aug. Which worke of redemption consisteth of two partes 1. Satisfaction for sin both in culpâ poenâ 2. Intercession The one performed by him in the state of Humiliation by his 1. Incarnation 2. Passion Externall Internall 3. Crucifying 4. Death 5. Buriall 6. Descent into hell The other in his estate of Exaltation glory I beleeue that God I doe not say approued or suggested or furthered but permitted directed and J may truely say willed and ordeined the fal of Adā that thereby he might take occasiō to manifest his glory that in two respects 1 In erecting a consistorie and tribunall for his iustice 2 In exposing to the view of all mē the inexhaustible treasure of his rich mercy or that I may speake in the words of a Prophet In opening of a fountaine of mercy to the house of Dauid to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem to all the Israel of God for sinne and for vncleannesse Concerning the first I confesse that there cā no other reason be assigned of the reiection of the wicked but that
of Christ in the Gospell Etiam pater quia sic placuit tibi Non dicit qua ratione sic patri placuit sed tantuÌ„ gratias agit patri quod sic illi placuit Chrys Or to speake to the capacity of the ignorant but the alone absolute will of God ordeining and as I may so speake adiudging to distruction the wicked before they were presented vpon the stage of the world or had done either good or euil For hath the Potter power of a lump of clay to make a vessell to dishonour and shall not the Almighty Iehouah by his vnlimited and transcendent power ordaine vessells of wrath for the euill day and for destruction Seeing he is the Lord in the parable of Matthew who said An non licet mihi quod volo facere in meis Yet againe I confesse that God condemneth not into hel any man but for sinnes and trespases for I hold this to bee a true position in Diuinity that sinne is not the cause of reiection yet may be and indeed is the meritorious and impulsiue cause of damnatioÌ„ wherfore whosoeuer thou art that settest thy face against heauen and openest thy mouth in blasphemies against God lay thy hand vpon thy mouth and looke backe vnto the fall of Adam Looke vnto the Rocke whence yee are hewen and to the hole of the pit whence yee are digged Is 51.1 v. and consider what thou broughtest with thee from thy natiuity and from thy Fathers house Doe not censure God in thy blasphemous thoughts as if vpon lust only and not of deserued iustice he did award sentence of condemnation against thee and I could also wish that many men would be more sparing to scan this doctrine and chose rather to admire and magnifie then strictly to examine by the Canon of our reason the secret and hidden will of God saying with St Paul O the deepnesse both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out And with St Augustine Disputare vis mecum mîrare mecum exclama ô altitudo Ambo consentiamus in pauore ne in errore pereamus Concerning the second I beleeue that al meÌ„ being infected from Adams sinne not only with imputatiue guilt as Pighius would haue it but by naturall corruption also as St Paul avoucheth haue iust cause inhering and residing in theÌ„ at their birth for which they should bee reiected of God left weltering in their filthy blood to the contempt of their person yea to be sent into hell to haue their originall impiety expiated with brimstone but that God for the glory riches of his mercy being loath to wreak his fury in the general perditioÌ„ of al maÌ„kind not of foreseene either workes or faith but of his good pleasure and only meere mercy hath called some out of the cursed estate of all mankinde on whoÌ„ to bestow fauour the kingdome of his loue ordaining them in his secret counsell to be Citizens with the Angels of the heauenly Ierusalem and heires of blisse and coheires with Christ And doth call them at due time some at the third hower and some at the eleventh if not outwardly all by his word yet inwardly all by the hidden vertue and efficatious power of his holy spirit out of the power of darknes to be of the houshold of God in the bosome of the Church there to be consecrated by Baptisme nourished at the Lords table instructed by the word governed by his spirit even then he bestoweth vpon them his Beloved and with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he giveth remission both of sinnes and punishment and all the benefits and merits not of his passion only but of his incarnation also and hath giueÌ„ vs the hand of faith to reach and apply them vnto our selues yea to owne possesse them as truely as if ours not by imputation only but originally and by inhaesion so that before God all the company of the faithfull are accounted as only one Numerical body with Christ Sicut corpus vnum et membra habet multa sic Christus 1. Cor. 11.12 where by Christus is ment Ecclesia Christi the Church of Christ head and body the vine and branches for the spirit of God by his sanctifying power by little and little doth worke away the old maÌ„ of our corruption doth put on vs a new creature making vs really partakers of the substaunce of the flesh yea of the whole person of Christ his proper ornaments and graces as righteousnes and sanctification The which great blessing of our every way vndeserued redemption wheÌ„ I seriouslie revolue with my selfe I cannot but breake forth into praise in the words of Zachary Blessed be the Lord God of Israell because he hath visited redeemed his people c. And to vse those words of admiratioÌ„ otherwise applied I coÌ„fesse in the book of Numbers According vnto this time it shall bee said of Iacob and Israel what hath God wrought Man having receiued these rich favours of God in his creation and redemption hath nothing charged vpon him for his tribute but only to shew a good faithfulnes to adorne his christian profession and to be carefull to shew forth good workes Wherefore I confesse vnto the glory of God that every one of Gods children which hath his sinnes washed away in the bloud of the Lamb Extra causam Iustificationis nemo potest bâ—na opera â—atis magnifice commendare Luth. hath it not left vnto him as Arbitrary but hath a necessity laid vpoÌ„ him to do good works and that in these respects following 1. In respect of God it being his will commandement that they should be done by such our obedience to testifie our thankfulnes for his great mercies of Creation and Redemption 2 In respect of our selues that wee by these fruits of Sanctification as by certaine markes in the Kings high way for they be viae regni Ber. may knowe whether wee bee in the way of saluation or no and be led backward to a certainty of our Iustification and effectuall Vocation and Election so finding our names written in the booke of life may be perswaded Certitudine fidei cui non potest subesse falsum of our future glorification 3 In respect of others 1. Ne quis de nobis conqueri possit Philip. cap. 2. 2 That other men seeing our good workes may be allured to glorifie our Father which is in heauen to say as the Gentiles to the Iewes in the prophesie of Zachary Ambulabimus vobiscum for we haue heard that God is with you This truth being alwaies resolued on that our best workes are not perfect in their owne esteeme value if examined according to the precise rule of the Decalogue lex spiritualis est ego autem homo carnalis and in the district iudgement of God and therefore away with merit and let vs say with S. Augustine Vae laudabili etiaÌ„vitae hominum si